Many photographic materials, particularly color negative films, contain so-called DIR (development inhibitor releasing) couplers. In addition to forming imaging dye, DIR couplers release inhibitors that can restrain silver development in the layer in which release occurs as well as in other layers of a multilayer photographic material. DIR couplers can help control gamma (contrast), can enhance sharpness (acutance), can reduce granularity and can provide color correction via interlayer interimage effects. U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,500 broadly discloses couplers with azole coupling-off groups. Specifically coupler 13 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,500 discloses a pyrazolone parent coupler with a simple purine coupling-off group. Purine-releasing pyrazolone DIR couplers are also disclosed in commonly assigned, copending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 08/824,226 and 08/824,223 both filed Mar. 25, 1997.